Brawl Erupts as Banksy Graffiti is Ripped Down in LA

(NewsCore) - A brawl broke out when a billboard tagged by world-famous graffiti artist Banksy was ripped down in Los Angeles, TMZ.com reported late Wednesday.

A video posted on TMZ shows a man arguing with a worker who removed the artwork Tuesday, threatening to call the cops in a dispute over who owns it.

More on Banksy in LA .

Banksy painted a picture of a drunk looking Mickey Mouse and a drug-affected Minnie Mouse over a billboard advertising Las Vegas management company The Light Group.

The picture could be worth tens of thousands of dollars if it was proved to be an authentic Banksy.

A spokesman for The Light Group, a Las Vegas management company, said CBS outdoor advertising took down the Banksy-sprayed poster without asking.

"We're extremely [expletive]. It's our billboard that got tagged, it's not their billboard. CBS clearly has ZERO appreciation for art!!!," the spokesman said. "We were flattered Banksy tagged on our ad -- it was epic," he added.

CBS returned the poster to The Light Group, but the company did not say whether it would it put it back on public display.

The disputed picture is one of several works by Banksy around Los Angeles in recent days, including a Charlie Brown figure starting a fire on the side of a burned-out building on Sunset Boulevard.

The elusive artist, whose identity is not publicly known, is in Los Angeles ahead of the Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 27 where his film "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is nominated for best documentary.

Source: TMZ